Lost in Austen (2008– )

Amanda, an ardent Jane Austen fan, lives in present day London with her boyfriend Michael, until she finds she's swapped places with Austen's fictional creation Elizabeth Bennet.

Stars:

Jemima Rooper, Elliot Cowan, Hugh Bonneville

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jemima Rooper	...	Amanda Price (4 episodes, 2008)
Elliot Cowan	...	Mr. Darcy (4 episodes, 2008)
Hugh Bonneville	...	Mr. Bennet (4 episodes, 2008)
Florence Hoath	...	Kitty Bennet (4 episodes, 2008)
Alex Kingston	...	Mrs. Bennet (4 episodes, 2008)
Morven Christie	...	Jane Bennet (4 episodes, 2008)
Perdita Weeks	...	Lydia Bennet (4 episodes, 2008)
Tom Mison	...	Mr. Bingley (4 episodes, 2008)
Ruby Bentall	...	Mary Bennet (4 episodes, 2008)
Christina Cole	...	Caroline Bingley (4 episodes, 2008)
Tom Riley	...	Mr. Wickham (3 episodes, 2008)
Guy Henry	...	Mr. Collins (3 episodes, 2008)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw	...	Pirhana (2 episodes, 2008)
Daniel Percival	...	Michael (2 episodes, 2008)
Gemma Arterton	...	Elizabeth Bennet (2 episodes, 2008)
Lindsay Duncan	...	Lady Catherine de Bourgh (2 episodes, 2008)
Michelle Duncan	...	Charlotte Lucas (2 episodes, 2008)

Storyline

Amanda Price is dissatisfied with her life in modern London. Her favorite escape is getting lost in the pages of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. One night, Amanda is startled to come face to face with the novel's protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet. A small door in her apartment mysteriously links their worlds. Eventually, Amanda becomes trapped on the other side, while Elizabeth remains in the modern world. Now as the events of her favorite book unfold in all the wrong ways, Amanda tries desperately to set things straight, but inevitably makes things worse. Will this fractured version of a classic tale lead Amanda to her own happily-ever-after?

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Plot Keywords:

jane austen | britain | 1800s | romanticism | british | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Details

Official Sites:

ITV [uk]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 September 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

Eksyin Jane Austenin maailmaan

Filming Locations:

Allerton Castle, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mammoth Screen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 180 min (4 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The burgundy and gold evening gown worn by a guest at the Netherfield Ball was previously worn by Susan Edmonstone (Mrs. Grant) dancing at the evening party in Mansfield Park.

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Goofs

When Mrs. Bennet and the girls' carriage has broken down, just as Wickam arrives, you can see a airplane or helicopter in the distant sky over Mrs. Bennet's head.

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Quotes

Mr. Darcy: Uh, Miss Price? I am decided I was wrong about Charles and Miss Bennet. I should never have obstructed them. It was a shameless cruelty against your blameless friend and... I beg your propitiation for it. Prove to me that I am forgiven? Come to Pemberley? My sister Georgiana has want of company.

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Connections

Featured in Lost in Austen: Behind the Scenes (2008)

User Reviews

Life on Mars meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead . .

. . . in Longbourne.

I may be asked to hand in my Austen Purists card but I liked it. And I think ITV are far better advised to try and cash in on the Austen market with this type of product than with the anaemic reproductions of BBC period drama they treated us to last year.

It's limited but it's funny. One of mainstays is that the characters are all subtly different and we are mostly offstage with scenes from the novel happening elsewhere. Lydia is attractively vivacious rather than promiscuously giddy, Jane is not that pretty, Darcy is not offensively haughty, the stranger from the future is not offensively gauche, and Mrs Bennett who has been very quick to understand the threat the newcomer poses to her daughters AND take action, is set up for very interesting developments - more a fearsome adversary so far than a cringing embarrassment.

Lizzie even looks like Lizzie should, but since she's hardly been in it so far, we'll have to wait and see what Gemma Arterton comes up with when she gets a few lines. It's a big ask, so I'll be interested to see whether she and Jemima Rooper can carry it off.

But you can count me in. Definitely.